A Fooled Heart
by KAM wuz here
Summary: Jareth, the Goblin King, shows up while the Volturi are trying to decide Bella's fate. Unwilling to be a vampire, and unwilling to stay with Edward, she chooses to live in the Underground with Jareth as he suggests. Her new life isn't exactly all that it seems, and neither is Jareth.


**Bella MacLeod worked with me behind the scenes on this wonderful little idea! Thank you to her! **

**ENJOY!**

"So," Aro said, "what do we do with you now?"

My breath caught in my throat as I tore my gaze from Edward—who was lying on the floor previously writhing there in agony, courtesy of Jane—and looked up into the milky, crimson eyes of Aro. So kind, and so dangerous. This was the moment we had all been waiting for. The Volturi were going to put in their verdict, decide all of our fates. I felt sick, like I couldn't breathe, waiting for them to say whether we would live or die.

"You already know what you're going to do, Aro," Marcus's dreary voice said from behind him, where he reclined in his throne, watching us. I dearly hoped he had a say in the situation, though I wasn't sure if he would favor us, I just didn't want him tossing off his decision to Aro.

Unfortunately, the third Volturi brother, Caius, chirped in and didn't make things better for us. "She knows too much," was his claim, in his steely tone. "She's a liability."

Edward was getting to his feet, and Alice took her place back at my side. Edward slid closer as well. Both of them were tense, Edward more obviously. And I felt like I was losing my mind.

Aro sighed deeply, frowning, upset with the turn of events. He had been so happy to see us alive, after all. But he admitted in reply, "That is true."

"I think I have a suggestion."

This was a new voice that spoke; deep, smooth, with a crisp British accent. At once every head whipped towards the voice. I was the slowest, the last to look. It was surely a site.

A man sat in Aro's throne—lounged in it, rather, sideways with one leg over the arm. He had skin as pale as a vampire, but looked like no vampire I'd ever seen or imagined. His hair was flaxen, long, feathery—maybe the word to describe the style was _spiky_, or as close to that. Spiky on the top, and continuing to flow softly down. He was smirking, hands clad in black playing idly with a small crystal ball.

"Your Majesty." Aro was the first to speak, and his soft voice was slightly irritated.

My mind reeled. _Your Majesty? _He didn't seem like a vampire, but I _knew _he was nothing human. The only thing I could think of was that he was a vampire. However, I had been told nothing of any vampire royalty. Edward had said the Volturi _were _the closest things to royalty for vampires.

I looked at Alice, but she seemed as stunned as I was. I looked at Edward, and he looked, if possible, more despairing than before. That frightened me.

"Who's that?" I breathed, so quietly that I barely heard myself. I was afraid of drawing the vampires' attention back to myself.

"Trouble," Edward answered darkly.

Meanwhile, the strange man had stood up—he moved with as much grace as a vampire, but something more alien—and stepped down the stairs of the dais. Marcus and Caius were both sitting forward now, in interest. The first thing I noticed about the man's wardrobe was that a dark, layered, near translucent cloak flowed to the floor behind him. He wore black knee-high boots and black leggings—and with my face heating slightly, I couldn't help but notice how the tight pants accentuated _everything_. His shirt was white, and something of a pirate's shirt style—puffy sleeved, ruffles around the deep v-neck—but more elegant. His crystal ball had vanished.

"Aro," he greeted. "How are you? My dear friends." He turned around briefly and nodded to the other two brothers. "Marcus. And my dear cousin, Caius." His gaze swept around the room as he clasped his hand behind his back. He had stopped just in front of Aro. His voice turned mocking. "You all seem rather anxious, I do hope nothing's the matter."

Aro glanced at us—Edward, Alice, and I—and sighed, turned back, and put his hand to his face, holding his other arm across his stomach. "Your Majesty"—surely irritated, and slightly embarrassed—"we _are _in the midst of something very important. We would be happy to except your company after this has been dealt with."

My blood boiled some. 'After this has been with'? Lives were on the line, and he was making play-dates with friends? I wanted to say something, even opened my mouth to start, but promptly shut it when the man's eyes flicked over to mine. His eyes were ice blue, piercing. His eyebrows were strange; dark, and upswept. He was wearing dark blue eye shadow, and a single black line was at the outer corner of each eye, which must have also been makeup. He was still smiling, cruel, as sharp as the angles of his face. He had a beautiful face; inhumanly beautiful; otherworldly. If not a vampire, what?

"Ah yes," he said. "I haven't been here long, but I _believe _I've got it." He nodded toward Edward, looking him up at down. "The vampire is in love with the _mortal_"—he nodded at me—"his _la tua cantante_, who he _loves _more than he wants to _kill_. Ooh, how _perfectly _masochistic!"

Edward snarled, a terrifying sound, but the man went on without even batting an eyelash. In fact, he may have looked more amused.

"Incidentally, no one's powers work on the girl. By the way, wonderful display, Jane. I so admire your power. Anyway, the _seer_"—the man nearly sneered this word as he looked over at Alice— "seemed to have caused a misunderstanding, that, despite her _modesty_, hasn't been improved thus far."

Lastly, he whirled back towards Aro. Edward tensed a bit, almost like preparing to spring on the man's unguarded back, but Alice grabbed his arm. He hissed under his breath.

"And you, my friend," the man said to Aro, "are thinking about killing the girl. _Such_ a pity, that."

Aro stayed perfectly still, and silent, for almost a full minute. I hardly breathed. Then he faintly smiled. "What is your _suggestion _then, Your Majesty?"

The man quirked an eyebrow, gave a one-shouldered shrug. "The girl is the only concern. Your fear is her exposing your secrets—"

"A thing you evidently don't fear at all," Aro remarked.

The man chuckled darkly before continuing. "Perhaps she'll say something, perhaps she won't. You can't follow her around to ensure her silence, that's too tedious. So...just keep her here."

Alice hissed and looked down, frustrated, at the same time Edward barked, "No!"

Caius stood up. "_Cousin_," he sneered, "you know nothing about how to go about this. Our laws claim them. She knows too much, and the boy does not intend to do away with her or make her one of us."

I swallowed hard. This got me thinking though. Of course Edward wasn't going to kill me. But he wasn't going to change me either. Although that was what I once wanted, I wasn't sure I wanted it anymore. My vampire life was supposed to be with Edward, so that I would never have to lose him. Now that my life with him was over, why would I want to be a vampire?

"I know nothing about this, Caius?" The man's voice now quiet and icy. "I am a _King_, Caius. I deal with many more affairs than you three, great and small. Also, _I _did not steal my throne. I am much more powerful than you. Do not forget with whom you are speaking."

Caius looked briefly intimidated, then angry, but stayed silent. The rest of the vampires were completely taken aback. I was too.

But now I couldn't hold in my questions anymore.

"King of what?" I asked. My voice faltered a bit, not that strong to begin with.

The man turned to me, looking me over first as if he had forgotten about me, and then grinned. His teeth were slightly crooked, his canine teeth slightly long and pointed like vampire fangs (which none of the vampires actually had). I had the urge to back away from him.

"Of _course_," he said, and then outstretched his arms and swept one down in a grand bow, "the King of the Goblins, and Master of the Labyrinth."

"Goblins?" I was hardly able to speak through my shock. "Labyrinth?"

He straightened up slowly, eyes gleaming and boring into mine. "_In_deed," he drawled.

So, vampires, werewolves, and goblins. What else was new? What else existed?

The King's eyes narrowed. Even though it was the slightest movement, and he was looking at Edward, not me, I still felt a bit of fear shoot through me like a cold electric shock.

"I can do much worse harm to you than little Jane," he said, "so I suggest you stop trying to read my mind, boy."

I looked at Edward in surprise. He couldn't read this strange man's mind? How was that possible? I thought I was the only exception to his gift.

Edward's hand clasped around my wrist, his other hand on my hip, holding me possessively to his chest. The man's lips twitched, a single eyebrow arching. I felt oddly embarrassed and angry at this, that this man was seeing Edward be so domineering over me, and I realized I didn't want to be seen as Edward's possession. I wasn't his. Not anymore. He didn't have that claim over me anymore. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't know, nor want to know, what's going through your sick mind, Goblin King," Edward said, almost all through clenched teeth. "But Bella is _not _staying here."

The Goblin King, icy and indifferent, reached up to pull his cloak tighter around him. "Perhaps it is because I decided to dress casual for a casual visit, but everyone seems to be presuming they can tell me what for what. So tell me _this_. Have you even ever asked the girl what she thinks? What she wants?"

Even without speaking, this was the most intimidating, condescending man I've ever met. But...he had a point. And Edward had no answer. And now the Volturi brothers were all watching us carefully, intrigued. Or, rather, they were all watching _me_.

I opened my mouth once, and closed it. And did the same again. No sound was forming, and I could feel hysteria rising.

No. This was not happening! This was my chance, at last. I get to have my input, stand up for myself, make my own choice. I was not going to waste it. I _knew _what I wanted to say, so I swallowed, took a deep breath, and opened my mouth again.

"I don't want to stay here," I said firmly. "I won't stay here, in this castle. And I don't want to be a vampire."

Edward released his hold on me, which I had forgot about, and looked down at me in shock. "You...you _don't_?

Alice looked even more stunned. The Goblin King rocked back on his heels, smug, but not as smug as Caius looked as he sat back down. Aro sighed inaudibly, and made a small hand gesture to Felix and Demetri.

"Wait, Aro," the Goblin King ordered.

Aro stopped the two vampires with a glance. The two, who had been grinning and coiled to spring, frowned and sullenly leaned back against the wall. Edward had taken a fighting stance too, I noticed. I didn't notice a lot though, because the Goblin King's eyes were burning into mine. I had a hard time keeping eye contact with him. He sauntered a few steps closer to me, arrogant, thoughtful looking, with something akin to admiration.

"They'll kill you, you know," he said.

I nodded. "I know."

"Bella!" Alice gasped, aghast. She looked to Edward for help, but he was too horrified to speak.

"What?" I asked, nearly glaring at Edward. "You'd rather see me dead than a vampire. This solves your problem, so I don't know why you're upset. You don't have to damn my soul."

The Goblin King chuckled. The laugh was rich, musical, and beyond wicked. "But death is not what you want, is it?"

I turned my glare on him.

He grinned mockingly. "I thought not."

"What is this about, cousin?" Caius snapped.

"There's something about this girl," the Goblin King began thoughtfully. "_Something_... And she's so very young, and full of life. Death would love to claim her, I think, but he would have to fight me for that right. I won't stand to see this girl simply _die_. You don't want her though, and, as you well know, the unwanted children"—the corner of his mouth lifted into a devious smile—"belong to _me_."

"_No_," Edward snarled.

"I'm afraid so, dear boy."

"I think that's a brilliant idea, my friend!" Aro cried in delight, surprising us all. "It would be a shame for poor Bella to be wasted. I hadn't even thought of it, this way for her to be spared."

"And the other two, Aro?" Caius demanded.

He looked directly at Alice when he spoke. "Alice and Edward are free to leave if they wish. Or, to _stay_ if they wish. Once Bella is gone, it would be as if no laws were broken. There would be no danger."

Frustrated as Hell, I straightened up and scowled, resisting the urge to stamp my foot. "Once Bella goes _where_?" I demanded. "I don't understand what you're all talking about."

"Mortal," the Goblin King said, "here is you choice. You may stay here, and die. Or, you can come with me, back to my home. It's called the Underground. My castle is just beyond the Goblin City. "

My mind reeled._ A kingdom. The Goblin City_. Was this King, the Goblin King, actually offering me a chance to live in his kingdom? Really, finding out about the existence of vampires and werewolves and being swept into this hectic, secretive world, I shouldn't have been surprised about anything. But the _labyrinth_. That sounded _magical, _as silly as I felt. And I couldn't deny my curiosity about it. I wanted to know about this world.

And when I weighed it against my other option—death—the choice was obvious.

"_Don't_, Bella!" Edward begged.

I just shook my head, pain stabbing at my chest. He would still have me choose death?

The Goblin King suddenly growled, his control apparently snapping, and stalked swiftly forward. With a simple flick of his fingers, Edward lifted from the floor and was thrown back against the stone wall, and stayed there. I gasped and whirled around to look at him, my hands clapping over my mouth. Alice's eyes were wide, one hand over her own mouth as well. Edward fought against an invisible restraint, but he didn't move. The Goblin King continue forward until he was glaring straight into Edward's eyes.

"I've had just about enough of you, boy," he said venomously. "Who do you think you are, to sneer at a King so? My patience is wearing thin. I will not tolerate your interference in my affairs."

"Bella is _not _your _affair_," Edward rebuked.

"Unlike you're despicable, revolting kind, I'll allow _her_ to be the judge of that. She has her own free will, does she not? Let her use it."

Despite all my mental chaos, I still heard a loud _WHOOO! _in the back of my mind, a mental fist pump. Again, the Goblin King had a splendid point.

The Goblin King sauntered back in my direction, leaving Edward hanging on the wall. Alice's eyes darted between the King and Edward, humming anxiously. The Goblin King looked something like a cat stalking its prey, and I gulped as I lowered my hands from my face.

"What do you say, then?" he asked, his voice light and pleasant again. "Do you chose my labyrinth?"

I looked at Aro, who was beaming, and to the sullen faces of the brothers behind him. I looked to Edward, who wore a tortured expression. I looked to Alice for advice, but she didn't give me a word, probably out of fear of the Goblin King, who lastly I looked back to.

I'll tell you exactly why a said yes. Because he was the first one to give me freedom, and how passionate he was about it. I absolutely loved it. The choice had _never _been more clear. The choice for what I generally want for breakfast was a hundred times harder to make.

"Yes," I said. "I want...I'll...go with you."

He didn't look surprised by my answer, but extremely pleased. And there was that grin again...

"You must use your _right words_, mortal."

I felt my eyebrows draw together. "Excuse me?"

Still grinning, he raised a hand to his face, and flourished it. Delicately resting on the tips of his fingers was a shining crystal ball. No, a _bubble_, because he gently blew on it. It floated softly towards me, into my face. I raised a hand, curious, but it popped before I could touch it.

_I wish — I wish — I wish..._

My lips parted, and, dazed, I shook my head and blinked. I had _heard _it. Words. In my mind. And before I could even think about them, they were coming out of my mouth.

"I wish the Goblin King would take me away, right now."

The Goblin King held out a hand. My fingers slipped over the leather on their own accord. The last thing I remember doing was closing my eyes.

* * *

**Okay, sooo... I'm not sure at all what I was thinking when I came up with this, but I'm going to go through with it anyway. **

**I know I've been MIA for a looooong time now... Well, I'm not dead! That much you know. I just wanted to start with this update so I can get myself rolling.**

**Review if you would like to! THANK YOU IF YOU READ!**

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